"This is SO Tinsel!"

Welcome to another Tuesday. I don't know about everyone else, but I spent the day thinking it was already Wednesday. That would have been a bummer...Anyway, going along with our 'Christmas in July' theme, here is today's project.

Today's movie is the Disney made-for-tv movie Prep & Landing. The movie follows Wayne and Lanny, members of an elite elf group. As members of this group, they work together to prepare rooftops and chimneys for Santa to land. Our project is based off of one of the promotional posters for the movie, where they are getting to work.
The project is actually a treat box/gift holder. There are three sections to it. The two parts on the side, where the garland is hanging from, have lids, which would be perfect for holding something small, like little candies. There is a bigger box, without a top,which could be used to hold some more treats, or cards.
Thanks for looking! Join us tomorrow for another project, based on one of our favorite movies!

"What's Your Favorite Color?"

Hi there! Today's project is based off another of our favorite Christmas movies.  I love the Buddy-isms in Elf, like, "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite." (And who doesn't love Zooey Deschanel?!)
So in honor of Buddy, we made treat holders to look like his shoes. (Unfortunately, we didn't have any candy, candy canes, or candy corns hanging around... and syrup would make a really big mess.)

He wears yellow tights with a green tunic, so we added green and yellow on top of his black boots, complete with curly toe!

Remember, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Thanks for stopping by!

"I Feel It In My Fingers..."

It feels like forever since we've posted, although it's only been a week. We were fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks at home, seeing our family and friends. We were able to attend the wonderful wedding of our friends, meet some new ones, and cross a few more states off our list of places we've been (we weren't missing much...)
Now that we're back, this week's theme is a lot of fun, although a little late. We had planned on using this theme for last week's posts, but it didn't work out right. BUT...it's still July, so it technically works! Our theme this week is 'Christmas in July'! We decided that we wanted to base these projects off of our favorite holiday movies.

So, today's post is a scrapbook layout based on the movie Love, Actually. This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I don't know if it's so much the Christmas part, or the love stories. It's probably the stories behind it. Well, either way, I really like this one.

So today's project is titled, "Christmas Is All Around" from the song that Billy Mack sings in it. I can't help but sing along when it comes on.

We designed the page to look like the little red Santa dresses the girls in the video wear, and that's where the little girl in the corner comes in. We also made the photo mats to look like wrapped gifts, like the cover of the movie. Finally, we have the lyrics of the song along the bottom. This was definitely a fun layout to put together.


Thanks for stopping by! Join us tomorrow for another holiday-inspired project! It's never too early to start thinking about those holiday gifts!

Cupcake Saturday!

Welcome to another Cupcake Saturday! We hope everyone has had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. Since we have been going on this "road trip" of ours, our cupcakes are, too! These are our Rocky Mountain Road cupcakes:

Just a side note- "Rocky Road" has nothing to do with the Rocky Mountains. The idea was developed back in the 1930's, during the Depression.
Anyway, our cupcakes have a chocolate cake, with some chocolate chips. The original recipe is with walnuts, but ours have pecans. We were sent a whole bunch of pecans from Texas, so we decided to use them in these. They are topped with a marshmallow frosting, and sprinkled with some more chocolate chips and nuts.
Thanks for looking and have a great weekend! We will be taking a short break for a week or so, but come by next week!

Today's Party Trivia:
-  Today's date is full of Old Western firsts. The first showdown occurred in 1865 and the first train robbery was in 1873.
- The USS Constitution, one of the Navy's first frigates, built and stationed in Boston, started its maiden voyage in 1798. (I wonder if that lazy lad is still there...)
- Today is National Junk Food Day. A great day to celebrate...:0) 

Kid-Friendly Friday

Happy Friday, all! I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Today's kid-friendly project will keep the backseat busy on any road trip. It's another recycling project for those of you who have old cookie sheets hanging around.

Materials:
Cookie Sheet
Paper
Markers
Magnets (round and strips)
Glue/Tape
Scissors
Laminating plastic (optional)
Paper clip

Step One:
Think of what games you would want to play. Either find them online or create your own. I did a little bit of both. I printed off boards for Checkers, Scrabble, Connect Four, Tic-Tac-Toe, Chutes & Ladders, and a blank Bingo board. The Bingo board was left blank so the kids can put their own things in, like street signs.

Step Two:
The next step would be to laminate the sheets for sturdiness. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will make the games last longer. It also allows you to write on them with dry-earse markers. My laminating job wasn't great, but it will get the job done.

Step Three:
Cut out circles to put on top of the magnets, so they can be differentiated. Red and black work for Checkers, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Connect Four. You can add other colors for the other games.

Step Four:
I made spinners for Chutes and Ladders. To do this, I drew a circle on a scrap of cardstock and split it into different, equal sections. Then, all you need to do it put a pencil in the middle with a paperclip and spin. You also don't have to worry about losing the dice.

The magnets can go into a plastic bag for storage, and a file folder attached to the back will keep the game boards safe from crumpling.

I like these magnetic cookie sheet games because it really doesn't take up much room in the back seat, and to help curb the "summer slide," you can make them into learning games as well!


Thanks for stopping by!

Are We There Yet?

Today's project isn't really a crafting post. It's more of the teacher in me, I suppose. It's a busy book, so you don't have to keep hearing, "Are we there yet?" from the backseat.

 

I created a PDF file of different backseat games and activities. There are also spots to do some journaling about the day's activities. I left it pretty blank so kids could draw in it. And I had fun making different versions of "I Spy." After last summer, I think it would be much easier having a list of things to spy other than, "something green." Between this and the mini album from earlier this week, the whole trip is covered and remembered!

Come back tomorrow for more backseat activities.


Thanks for stopping by!

Where Have You Been?

Today's project is a wall map. Back home, we have a big wall map hanging up that shows where we've been. Each family member has a different color pushpin and we've put in all the cities and places we've visited. After last summer, it was quite full! Since we don't have one of those here, we decided to make our own. This is a great thing to help track all of the states you've been to, or just to help your kids learn about geography! (Which is definitely helpful, since I've known high school seniors who don't know where all of the states are... How sad.)

We cut out all of the states and outlined them on big poster paper. We added the state names, abbreviations, and capitals to each one. Finally, we glued the states we've been to onto their outlines. When we get back to Washington, we'll be able to add North Dakota onto it. Now we just have that big, glaring (quite literally, sorry for the poor picture taking) hole in the middle, and Alaska and Hawaii. One day we'll get out there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
Apparently July 18th is a slow news  day...
- In 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a third term as US President. He would go on to be the only President to serve more than two terms. He served for 3+ terms.
- Today is National Caviar Day

My Road Trip Mini-Album

Today we have a road trip mini album to share with you. What better way for a child to keep notes of things going on with this mini album? Each 2-page layout has a spot for a 4x6 photo and a section for writing down some memorable things.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The first dental school in the United States, Harvard's School of Dental Medicine, was established in 1889.
- Disneyland was dedicated in 1955. It was officially opened to the public the next day.
- Today is National Peach Ice Cream Day

Our bags are packed....

We're ready to go! This week, we will have road-trip themed projects to share with you. After this crazy, fun-filled weekend, we will be getting ready to head back west. This will be the third time in a year making this cross-country road trip, and yet, we aren't sick of each other in the car. I guess that's a really good thing. Wouldn't want to have to stop the car in North Dakota and "accidentally" leave someone there... :)
So to start off, we have a cute little card. I know most people don't make cards to announce a vacation, but we aren't most people! We'll make cards for any occasion.

I love the little details on the people, right down to the coffee cup. That's really how we survive each other for so long. A little caffeine, some music, I Spy... (That's not so much fun in the middle of nowhere. "I spy something green.") And you may notice that the map is upside down. That's the kind of co-pilot we are. Even with GPS we manage to get lost. We had some good adventures last summer that way.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The Rosetta Stone, a large granite rock carved with three languages, was found in Egypt in 1799.
- In 1916, two men incorporated Pacific Aero Products in Seattle, Washington. The company would later become Boeing, named after William Boeing, one of the founders.
- In 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System was released. ("I am thankful for my NES...")
- Today is National Ice Cream Day and Cow Appreciation day. So, before having a snack, find a cow and say thanks!

Congratulations!

So today's the big day! Our good friends are getting married today! We are very excited for them and their future together. We wanted to share the wedding gift we made for this great couple.

When they got engaged, we made a card with Cinderella and Prince Charming that you can see here. Now that they are getting married, we wanted to include the two on their wedding card. The wedding is on the water, so it needed some sand and a watercolor sunset.

To go with the card, we made a quilt, using their wedding colors. I'm really proud of how this came out. I love the ribbon around the border. I hope they enjoy it (and each other :) ) for many years to come.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
-Today is Bastille Day. In 1789, Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison. The prison itself was seen as a symbol of the King's almighty power. This event would lead to the start of the French Revolution.
- In 1853, New York City hosted the first World's Fair held in the United States
- The first pictures to be taken of another planet were taken of Mars, in 1965.
- Today is National Nude Day. Go out and celebrate...or not...Make sure it's not at someone's wedding, though. You may not be friends after that...

Kid-Friendly Friday!

Today's kid-friendly Friday project is really simple. And it's not just for kids! These paper lanterns would look great as a centerpiece at a wedding, or lined up on a mantle, or really anywhere. And boy, are they simple to make. You probably already have what you need lying around the house.

Materials:

Paper (any thickness will work)
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Glue or tape
Paper trimmer, optional

Step One:
Cut your paper to desired size. (I cut a 12x12 down to 12x8.) Hot dog fold your paper in half. You should have a long rectangle.

Step Two:
Draw a line about 3/4 of an inch on the open edge. Make sure it is a really light line, because it may show on the outside of the finished lantern.

 

Step Three:

Cutting from the folded side to the pencil line, make fringe, about 1/2 inch apart.

 

Step Four:
Take the two short sides and fold them towards each other. Glue or tape the ends together on the top and bottom. Also glue or tape in the middle by the fold to make your lantern sturdier.

Step Five:
One way to get rid of the pencil line is to use a complimentary paper and make a band to go around it. The sizes of the papers for the lanterns below are: green- 12x8, short white- 4x11, medium white-4.5x11. I've also made these with large 19x12 construction paper, so really any size works. The one thing to remember is to not cut past the pencil line.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- In 1923, the Hollyood sign as officially dedicated. At first, it read Hollywoodland, but when it was renovated in 1949, they removed the 'land' part. (Who would guess it would be so darn hard to find?? If only other cities around didn't put up random letters...)
- In 1977, New York City suffered a 24-hour blackout that led to major looting and fires
- Today is "Embrace Your Geekiness Day"!!

Cupcake Saturday! (on Thursday)

So, this is a little early, but any day is really a great day for cupcakes! We wanted to keep Saturday open for a very special post! Going along with this week's theme, we have little wedding cupcakes to share. There are a ton of different variations of these, so this is our interpretation. We tried to base ours off of the little favors we made earlier this week, but the coloring isn't quite the same, as you can tell. Her coloring made her look more like a cartoon character rather than a person...

They are just plan little vanilla cupcakes. These particular ones don't have any frosting on them, which made it easier for us to decorate. Aren't these adorable?! They would be easily customizable to your own wedding colors, too. Thanks for stopping by! Join us tomorrow for another Kid-Friendly Friday, which showcases a super-easy way to fancy any table up!

Today's Party Trivia:
- July 12th is another slow news day...
- The Rolling Stones held their last concert in London in 1962.
- Today is National Pecan Pie Day.

Some Wedding Favors

Today's project is a set of wedding favors. I have to say, I can't wait to start planning my wedding, whenever that happens. With no significant other at this time, I guess I will have to continue resorting to making mock-up invitations and favors... Oh well. That's fun, too.

How cute are these bags?! I love how they are hearts disguised as the bride and groom! I love the little details, like the necklace and buttons. And the groom's little pocket square and buttons!

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Detroit became the possession of the United States in 1796. It had belonged to Great Britain
- In 1859, London's famed Big Ben rang out for the first time.
- The Hollywood Bowl, the nation's largest natural amphitheater, was opened in 1922. The first performance was the Los Angeles Philharmonic
 - Today is National Blueberry Muffin Day and Cheer Up the Lonely Day. Make a batch of muffins to cheer someone up!

Wedding Shower Gift

We are really excited to share today's project with you. We made this towel cake for our really good friend who is getting married this weekend.

It was a great shower gift. It is literally a shower gift. We took various sizes of towels and stuck body wash, lotion, and spray in the folds. We chose lilies in honor of her puppy, whose name is Lily. We made the paper lilies with scraps from her invitations.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Wyoming became the 44th state in 1890.
- In 1978, ABC's World News Tonight premiered
- Today is National Pina Colada Day and Teddy Bear Picnic Day, so go out and have some drinks with your favorite stuffed animal!!

You are Invited...

Today we have some wedding invitations that we put together really quickly. We've been lucky enough to make invitations for a couple of our friends' weddings, and have found that we really enjoy it. There's nothing like helping someone make a fantastic first impression about their wedding. And really, for us, one of the nicest things about making a large number of cards at once is the assembly line process. After figuring out one, the rest are exactly the same. It also helps that there are two of us working on them at the same time to cut production in half.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Five days after it was signed, the Declaration of Independence was read out loud for the first time.
- Tennis's famed Wimbledon Championship was held for the first time in 1877
- The world's largest tsunami, with a wave of more than 500m high, occurred in 1958
- Today is National Sugar Cookie Day- our dad's favorite!! :0)

Wedding Week!

It’s another week, which means we need another theme to work on. Since we will be celebrating the marriage of one of our closest friends this weekend, what better theme than wedding? We are really excited to help the bride put together some of the last minute things and to get the party started!!

We’re starting off the week with some engagement cards. We have two that were really easy to put together, but special enough to give the happy couple. Both cards have a touch of embossing to give them that fancy look.

The red jewels really pop, and I love how the flamingos make a heart with their beaks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:

- The Wall Street Journal was first published in 1889.
- In 2011, NASA launched the Atlantis, the final mission in the Space Shuttle program
- Today is National Milk Chocolate with Almonds day. For all of those who are sweet, but slightly nutty...

Cupcake Saturday!

It's another Cupcake Saturday! In keeping with our picnic theme, we thought, "What better cupcake to make than hamburger cupcakes?" You can't have a picnic without hamburgers. I'm sure you've seen something like this before. A few years back, we made a big hamburger cake for a picnic, and now we've just shrunk it down into sliders!

The cupcakes are vanilla cake with chocolate "burger patties" and colored vanilla frosting for the toppings. Although they look like a lot of time was spent working on them, they came together pretty quickly. I love how ooey-gooey the cheese looks!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The first US military draft began in 1863. An exemption would cost $300.00
- The first loaf of sliced bread was sold in a Missouri bakery in 1928
- Construction of the Hoover Dam, originally the Boulder Dam, began in 1930.
- Today is both National Strawberry Sundae Day and Chocolate Day. Ice cream sundae, anyone?

Kid-Friendly Friday!

Welcome to another weekend! Since this week's theme is let's go on a picnic, I've decided that we need to make some friends for ours. These egg carton critters are much better picnic guests than real ants. They won't take your food!

Materials:
Egg carton
Scissors
Black paint
Paint brush
Pipe cleaners
Pokey tool
White out pen or white marker
Markers
Googly eyes (optional)
Glue (optional)

Step One:
Cut out a three cup section from the egg carton. Paint the carton black.

 

Step Two:

While the paint is drying, take 2 pipe cleaners. Cut them into quarters. We will use two pieces for the antennae and 6 for the legs. Once the paint is dry, use the pokey tool (totally the name of it... or a safety pin would work too) to make two holes on the top of the head, and three more on each side of the body.

Step Three:

Stick a pipe cleaner piece into each hole. On the inside of the carton, twist the cleaner to keep it in place.

Step Four:
Draw on the mouth and stick on the eyes. That's it!

 In case your little one doesn't want to make an ant, I have a monarch butterfly. He was made the same way, just switch the spots where the eyes are and the antennae are, and don't add legs. I used hands for the butterfly wings and decorated them to look like a monarch's wings. Finally, I glued them to the bottom of the carton.

 Here are our egg carton critters enjoying a sunny day outside!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for our picnic cupcakes!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The dollar was chosen as the currency of the US in 1785
- The first use of the rabies vaccine was in 1885. The same person who developed the pasteurization process for dairy products discovered the vaccine. It was used on a boy who was bit by a rabid dog.
- The Hartford Circus Fire happened in 1944 during a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show. 168 people were killed and the circus was banned in parts of Connecticut.